Decrying boys’ humiliation of being handcuffed and clad in lockup attire.
A group of 30 comprising friends, family members and a children’s rights activist today staged a protest at the Petaling Jaya court complex over what they perceived to be unfair treatment towards the two teenage stepsons of late Cradle Fund CEO Nazrin Hassan.
Activist Hartini Zainuddin from NGO Voice of the Children decried the handcuffs and lock-up attire the two boys were made to wear when they were brought to the Magistrates’ Court yesterday for the remand procedure, saying such treatment violated the United Nations’ conduct code for minors.
“There’s no need to humiliate them. I’m here because I heard there were violations,” she said.
She noted that Unicef had made recommendations on the treatment of underaged suspects 12 years ago in a report on juvenile justice.
“If you look at the recommendations made, it was already said: no handcuffs, no prison clothes. They should have changed all that,” she said, referring to the police.
“They are children. There are protections given,” she added.
The demonstrators held up placards demanding justice for the two schoolboys who are under a seven-day remand to help facilitate investigation into the murder of Nazrin.
The boys, aged 16 and 14, were arrested on Saturday night. One of them had been detained for questioning earlier last week after a puncture wound was found on the deceased’s neck, which is believed to be from an arrow.
Reportedly, both boys were members of their school’s archery club.
Police had arrested their mother Samirah Muzaffar, 43, on September 4. Her former husband, also 43, was arrested a day earlier but was released on Friday.
Nazrin was found dead on the upper floor of his double-storey house in Mutiara Damansara on June 14, with burn marks on 30 percent of his body.
Police reclassified the case as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code on August 3, following a forensic investigation report by the Fire and Rescue Department, which cited suspected foul play in the death.
The police are expected to apply for a remand extension for Samirah today.